Finally, I have bought the game. Bugs and other growing pains made me prudent not to buy this game too soon. Still it looks to me that not all bug issues are cleared now. During test games, I saw for me strange and not understandable things happen. Is this because the existence of remaining not fixed bugs... or do I have problems in understanding the game mechanism? I believe both options are true.

English is not my natural language. Because that I am limited in my creativity to write AAR’s in English. For persons having problems with my imperfect English I can only say, sorry for that.

I will play my first AAR for the Central Powers and my game settings are;

Strictly turn-based is turned off … Default interception level is set to minimum forces ... Pursuits after battle is turned on … Counter attacks is turned on and overruns are also turned on. Battle reinforcements are sent to all fronts. The AI Aggression is slightly above average and the difficult rating is set to average because I am still an inexperienced general.

I hope for some support and advice to get grip on this game, please feel free to place reactions about my game play

This summer, 95 years ago, the newspapers around the world reported about the successful murder attempt in Sarajevo against the Austrian-Hungarian successor to the throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek. This incident was in Vienna used as the final Serbian provocation that let to World War I. Of course this successful murder attempt alone was not the real reason for the outbreak of the Great War. During the early years of the 20th century there was a fragile balance of power in Europe, many European powers wished to settle ’unpaid bills’. France by example had a casus belli against Germany; Paris lost the Alsace to the Germans after the French-Prussian War of 1870-1871. The British Empire disliked the Germans as well as an upcoming rival to get also a nice place under the colonial sun. The German fleet building program was in Britain interprented as a growing threat for the Royal Navy.

The political situation on the Balkan was even more unstable. Politically protected by the Russian Empire the Serbians chased the Turks away from the Balkan with the help of many Austrian-Hungarian troops. Under the treaty of Berlin (signed in 1878), Austria-Hungary received the mandate to occupy and administer Bosnia and Herzegovina while Europe’s ‘old sick man’ Turkey retained official sovereignty. Under this same treaty, Serbia was official recognized as a sovereign Kingdom. However, Serbia came economical and political under a very strong influence of the Austrian-Hungarian double monarchy. The Serbians disliked that fact. During the early 20th century, the opposition against the Austrian influence rose into small conflicts in where the unofficial Austrian province Bosnia-Herzegovina played an important role. Russia, as a natural Slavic ally, supported the Serbian ambition to unite the South Slavic population into one Balkan state. Such a greater Serbia would turn the fragile balance of power on the Balkan against Vienna and Budapest, which would by a great advantage for the Russian interests there.

[INDENT][/INDENT]

The visit of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie to Sarajevo, especial on June the 28th, was for the Bosnian-Serbian nationalists as Gavrilo Princip a huge provocation. On this date, the Serbians remember the Battle of Kosovo (fought in 1389) against the Turkish enemy. The Ottoman Empire won that battle but the people of Serbia mentioned it as a Pyrrhic victory against the brave sacrificing Serbians. The heavy losses suffered by Serbia resulted in its reduction to a Turkish vassal state… but the battle did also stop that Ottoman advance further into Europe.

We know what for a chain reactions occurred in Europe after the murder on the successor for the Austrian throne. What began as a small conflict for preponderance in the Balkan region was the overture for “The Great War”.

“The German Emperor is ageing me; he is like a battleship with steam up and screws going, but with no rudder, and he will run into something and cause a catastrophe”.

This very bad observation came from the British minister of foreign affairs; it shows to the Kaiser very clear that Minister Edward Gray do not understand how the real situation in Europe is. This sounds very bad, especially for the interests of Germany. It looks to me that also Britain shall join the Russian enemy soon. Edward Gray, looking from his office window to the burning Whitehall streetlights spoke the remarkable words…

“The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime”.

It is early August 2009… uh… I mean early August 1914. Less more than a week before, on 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war to Serbia after the Austrians were confident for support from Germany in the case that Russia would interfere in its Balkan war. That interference was almost unstoppable after the Russian Tsar Nicholas II ordered the partial mobilisation one day later on July the 29th. The Germans mobilized their Hochseeflotte (the German blue water fleet) in reaction after the British sent their home fleet at Scapa Flow to their battle positions to dominate the North Sea. The Austrians started their attack on Serbia; Austrian gunboats patrolling on the Danube River open their fire on Belgrade, the first battle of what became some days later World War 1 has begun.

Following the next day’s European minor states as Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Belgium declared to maintain their neutrality. Meanwhile in London the British parliament adopted a motion directed against Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty (the minister for the Royal Navy) Churchill has ordered an action against the hand over of two brand new battle ships to Turkey. Such an action would be illegal because there was not a state of war between Turkey and Britain yet and the Turks had bought and paid the ships, so they rightfully own those two proud battle ships.

On 31 July, the Chief of the German General Staff Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger) reported to his Austrian equal that Germany would mobilize when the Russians do not stop their war preparation before August the 1st at noon. One day later, on August 1st, France and Germany mobilized their armed forces and at 19:10 hours, Germany declared Russia the war. Since that moment, a huge conflict is unstoppable.

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My expressed thoughts: By playing the game and writing this AAR, I stimulate myself to do my best to play this game with full attention. This will help me to learn the game mechanism in practice and share my knowledge with other gamers in this community. During the game I will express my thoughts about how to play the game and explain the choices I have made. To separate my expressed thoughts from the rest of this AAR, I will use a cursive text.

Diplomacy options and War plans: I have reached the game phase to decide which battle plans will be execute during the first turn of August 1914. The choice for a particular plan, including its optional choices, will determine how much action cards I will draw and how many of these cards I may hold in my ‘hand’s to play during the course of the game. As I have mentioned before, the main cause why this version of the Great War broke out lay in the Balkan region and the rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Russia to dominate it. Because this I gave Von Moltke the Younger the permission to abandon the Schlieffen plan to replace the first, second and third German army to the east. By my choice to use the Moltke Plan, I shall concentrate the German offensive operations against Russia to give maximal support to my Austrian-Hungarian ally in their awkward war against Russia. For Austria-Hungary I have made the choice for the Kaiser Plan to concentrate my aggression against the Russian positions to a maximal level.

For Germany I will play the option Diplomatic Poker what give me less events cards to make choices between and also one event card less to hold but (as I have understood) a better chance that sooner or later Italy will enter the war on my side. To have the Italians on my side too is my aim as it will prevent for Austria-Hungary a second front along its southwestern borders.

To please Rome even more I made the in Austria very unpopular decision to cede my Italian-speaking region Trenton to Italy. This will upset my Austrian population, resulting in a loss of 6 National Will points (-6 NW) But I really hope to have Italian armies fighting for me against the French positions south of Switzerland, somewhat later during this game. The South Tyrolean core regions Sachsenburg, Brenner and, in spite of Calvinus opinion Bolzano… uh…I mean Bozen, must also remain firmly in Austrian hands.

vonRocko and MrT, thank you both for your reaction. Writing this AAR is for my not only learning this game but also to become familiar with the history of WW1. I visit a lot of relevant website's too and lost my self there in reading instead of writing my AAR further

Vienna, 1 August 1914, 20:18 hour. Since an hour, there was an air of great excitement in Leopold von Berchtold’s offices. The rattling of typewriters, ringing telephones and smothered squeals of excitement were clearly audible. The news has arrived that Germany is in war with Russia now and many nations, all over Europe, mobilize their armed forces. Then, at 20:20 even more excitement filled the rooms of Austria’s Foreign Office after sectional news arrived from Italy. Raiding the telegram Von Berchtold screamed; “Na so was! … bereits jetzt? … Donnerwetter!” (hell’s bells! … already now! … there there!) The telegram, sent from Austria’s embassy in Rome, reported Italy’s entry to the Central Powers!

Von Berchtold, Austria’s minister of foreign affairs is one of the so-called hawks in Vienna. He belongs together with the Austrian Minister for War, Alexander von Krobatin, and Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army, to the main proponents of the war with Serbia. The three Austrian ‘hawks’ came together in Von Krobatin war office the day after Italy’s unexpected commitment to the Triple Alliance. The situation along the southwestern border with Italy is very different now. The Austrian troops there are not needed any more there. The Austrian seventh and eighth armies are free to serve at the Serbian front or to participate in the planned offensive against the Russian armies in the northeast. New battle plans are needed, transport schedules for the 7th and 8th armies to send them to their new positions are also needed and cooperation with the Italian forces on a strategic level need to be discussed with our Italian ally.

My expressed thoughts: Haste trips over its own heels, I hope this saying is not valid for the amazing quick results that I have achieved to play diplomatic poker in combination with the option to cede Trenton to the Italians. Italy is at my side now but I need to play it carefully. In spite of the Italian hawks, shown in my press cutting above, there is in Italy not much support for my war ambition. The pacifistic Italian public opinion want peace, they are as the parliament in Rome pessimistic. Therefore, I shall not make war plans resulting in bloody Italian-French battles. I shall sent detachments of the Firs Italian Army along the coast for an easy catch in Nizza (Nice) if possible. By creating a threat against Southeast France, I hope to distract the French ambitions somewhat against the German positions in the Alsace. That will be the modest Italian contribution to the Great War for the time being. Finally, having Italy at my side now means that the Adriatic Sea is under my control.

Berlin, 1 August 1914. Having a small delay of less more than 3 minutes an international train, originating from Amsterdam, arrived at the Berlin central station. One of the alighting passengers was Anthony Fokker, a young aeroplane manufacturer and show pilot. After a visit to his relatives in Holland he returned just on time at his aircraft factory before the outbreak of the war.

Fokker was born in Java in 1890. At the age of four, he was sent to his family in Haarlem to receive a Dutch education. However, Fokker disliked schools; he did not complete his high school education. As his father also Tony was a self-made man, he started to build an aeroplane that he gave the name “de Spin” (the Spider). On August 31, 1911, during the annual celebration of Queen Wilhelmina’s birthday, Fokker amazed the people of Haarlem with a hazardous flight around the St.Bavo church in his third Spider prototype. Later he would call it the proudest moment of his life. After that performed stunt, Fokker moved to Johannisthal (near Berlin) to found an aircraft factory and a flying school.

My expressed thoughts: I drawn the Fokker event card, kept it and decided to play that card prompt. I did also drawn and kept the Bruchmuller card, when I play it the card will bring Germany major bonuses on all types of bombardments, gas firings and siege operations. However, it is for me not clear if this card is only valid for the turn in were I play I, or valid for the rest of the game. I made the choice not to play this card to find out how this event card works. Finally, the third event card I have kept is the “Double Agent” card. This card is, as I have understood not useful to play it by your self. It is, as far I have understood intended to keep this card in your hand as a defensive move against the “Mata Hari” or “Bolo Pasha” card when played by my enemy.

An in game message informed me that the events phase for early August 1914 is also a diplomatic pre-phase. Just before a lot of ‘ diplomacy’ is forced at the battlefield with a lot of violence I have a last chance to influence a nation toward the Central Powers. Having Turkey as my next ally I have sent a very strong (3) German mission to Constantinople where a French delegation of unknown strength is also available. I have weaker level (1) ambassador sent to The Hague to protect my interests in the Netherlands. German fake missions (0) have arrived in Washington, Bucharest and London. Austria concentrate its diplomatic corps in Sophia to protect my interests in Bulgaria, Vienna has sent fake missions to Brussels and Athens. Italy has no ambassadors available, may-be because they have just joined at my side.

Bravo, Emeg. I look forward to reading your AAR. Perhaps after it has grown a bit you can post it at the Matrix games forum also-there are readers there too (I will be moving an ongoing AAR from there to here soon). I am planning on gaining Italian intervention on behalf of the CP also, but in 1916.

BTW, your English is quite understandable; it is "off" just enough to give it an exoctic flare -makes for more interesting reading.